Clothes make the man
by Melfina Lupin
Summary: Kankuro is losing clothes left and right. What in the world is happening? Some swearing blame Kankuro


Clothes make the man by Melfina Lupin

Author's note: The sand siblings bond over stolen clothes and ice cream. Some swearing. Blame Kankuro.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

When it first began, Kankuro hadn't thought much about it. Wasn't it an accepted fact that every lost a sock or two mysteriously on laundry day? When he started to miss a couple of shirts and sleeping pants, he couldn't ignore the situation any longer. If this was some sick joke from Temari he wasn't pleased. If it continued, he wouldn't have any clothes to wear.

He asked his sister that morning if she had been stealing his clothes while Gaara sat mutely on the other side of the table. She laughed in his face and replied, "Why would I want anything that belonged to you? I mean you're twice my size."

Kankuro glared at her before getting himself a cup of coffee. "It's all muscle."

"Yeah right."

"You could just go buy some new clothes, you know."

He sat down between them, trying his best not to get depressed. "It's not the same. I've had those things for years. They were all soft and comfortable."

Temari smirked into her cereal. "You mean threadbare and full of holes."

"That's the best part."

"Whatever."

Temari was eleven when she first stole one of Kankuro's t-shirts. When she saw that a servant had placed in on her bed by mistake one night after laundry, Temari just tossed it in the corner and forgot all about it until a couple days later. Think she'd better return it to him, she picked it up. But it felt so soft in her callused hands that slept in it. In fact it felt like him. Big, warm, and soft. Like an oversized teddy bear.

It smelled a little like him and for the first time in her life Temari felt close to Kankuro. It was like he was sleeping right next to her, there to calm her fears and stop her nightmares. They weren't really close as sibling. All three of them were too proud to say that needed help or company. This way Temari didn't even need to ask.

Eventually she gave it back by sneaking into his room and shoving it into one of her drawers. But whenever she needed her brother by her side, she stole another one.

Gaara was thirteen when he first stole on of Kankuro's t-shirts. The softness of the cloth was relief against his skin after a day spent wearing scratchy sand armor. Even though it was far too big for him, he put it own anyway and the hem almost went down to his knees. But it was comfortable.

When he wore one of his brother's things he felt more invincible then he felt when wearing his armor. It was like he was borrowing some of his brother's strength in time when he desperately wanted to remain stable, wanted to remain strong and in control, and his chakra was failing.

It was midnight when Temari made her way downstairs towards the kitchen. Though her sensei would probably kill her for it if he ever found out, Temari was craving ice cream.

I'll just work it all off tomorrow, she told herself.

The massive compound that belonged to Suna's Kazekages was dark and quiet but Temari had the eyes of a cat and easily maneuvered through the otherwise intimidating darkness. In the kitchen, she flipped on the lights and rummaged through one of the numerous drawers for a spoon and then over to the refrigerator to dig out the last of the ice cream from the back off the freezer.

She was about to take her first bite when she heard someone quietly enter the room.

"_Son of a bitch_!"

Temari smiled sheepishly as she stared at her younger brother, his face unpainted for once.

"That's one of my shirts!"

"Is it?"

"Yes!" He glared at her.

"Oh," Temari looked down at the shirt. "I thought I was losing weight."

Kankuro stared at her in disbelief. "Bullshit!"

Temari laughed. "Sorry."

He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Damn, you steal my clothes, you could at least let me have some ice cream."

Grinning, Temari handed him the container and went to get him a spoon.

They both looked up when Gaara entered, pouting the way children often do after being woken up too soon from a nap. He was rubbing one dark-ringed eye with a fist, his tousled red hair sticking up in all directions.

"I don't believe it," Kankuro sputtered, staring at his younger brother.

"Why do you guys have to be so loud?" Gaara asked, glaring as he walked towards them, trying hard not to trip in the cotton pants obviously two sizes too big for him.

"What the hell…you're all the way on the other side of the palace," Kankuro told him as Gaara sat down.

Chuckling, Temari grabbed a second spoon and headed back to the table. Gaara blinked owlishly as he held his hand out for a spoon.

"And why are you wearing my pants? Why are you all stealing my clothes? I just spent my entire paycheck on new things."

Temari shrugged and dipped her spoon into the ice cream without answering.

"I'm the Kazekage so technically everything in this place is mine," Gaara replied, his voice the same monotonous as always. "Pass the ice cream this way, please."

The end


End file.
